All time A classic film is a comforting dose of nostalgia for a bygone era. Whether you are revisiting your youth or seeing a classic movie for the first time, it can evoke a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Sit back, relax, and crack open those chocolates because here are some reminders of all-time classics made for rainy afternoons.
The 39 Steps Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Peggy Ashcroft Year: 1935 You can’t beat a heart-thumping, Hitchcockian thriller. This film is a masterclass in mystery, unravelling and revealing the narrative with a sharp script and keen eye. Robert Donat plays the suave Richard Hannay, who is forced to go on the run. Dramatic scenes ensue across familiar locations in London and Scotland; it departs slightly from John Buchan’s novel, on which it is based, with a performance on the Forth Bridge. Hitchcock makes his obligatory cameo, and Madeleine Carroll stars as the traditional icy blonde.
Rebel Without a Cause Starring: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Dennis Hopper Year: 1955 This is the second of three films James Dean starred in (well, was credited with) during his successful but short-lived career. A melodrama with all the attitude of 1950s teenage angst with James Dean method acting his socks off. The ill-fated Natalie Wood stars as the love interest when the main character moves to a new town with his parents and is challenged to a drag racing contest, which is when his troubles begin.
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Red River Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Chief Yowlachie Year: 1948 This quintessential Western says ‘howdy’ to John Wayne as the curmudgeonly old man leading a cattle drive to Missouri. There is conflict along the way as the older character clashes with his unofficially adopted son (Montgomery Clift), prompting the son to take off with the herd on The Chisholm Trail to Kansas. Horses, big skies, wagons, stampedes, Native Americans portrayed as savages; it’s all there along with ‘yee-haws’ aplenty, y’all.
